yowl at the sight of his injured mate. Before Emma could stop him, Simon pounced on Livia, claws extended, and bore her to the ground.
“I should kill you where you lay,” he snarled over her, digging his claws into her stomach in the same exact spot she’d wounded Becky. The scent of blood and fear were thick in the air as Simon leaned down, his canines extending. “I could rip your throat out right now.”
Emma glanced over at Becky and saw her shuddering in fear, held in place only by Max’s arms. “Uh, Simon?” Golden eyes blinded by rage met hers. “You’re scaring the crap out of Becky.”
She watched as he looked over at Becky. The sight of her seemed to calm him somewhat, though his claws never left Livia’s flesh.
“Becky.” Becky jumped at the sound of his voice, moaning as her wounds bled some more. “What would you have me do to her?”
Max’s gasp was audible; in essence, Simon was giving Becky the kill.
“Simon?” It was more of a plea than a question, but for what Emma didn’t know.
“Tell me, Becky. What should Livia’s punishment be for injuring you?”
Becky blinked back tears and stared at Livia. “What is she? What are you?”
“Pumas. Werecats. I’ll explain more later. Right now, you need to decide her punishment.”
Becky looked at Emma, who cringed to see the confusion and hurt on her best friend’s face. “I didn’t know until Max bit me, then I didn’t know if you would believe me or not. But I planned on telling you tomorrow, if Simon didn’t do it first.”
“You’re a…” Becky swallowed hard at Emma’s slow nod. “And they’re…” Emma watched as Becky absorbed the information. When she blew out a hard breath, Emma relaxed. “This is going to cost you a fortune in Tidy Cat.” Becky’s laugh was shaky but Emma knew everything would be all right.
Emma grinned. “What would you like Simon to do with Livia?”
“What can he do with Livia?” Becky asked, staring down at Livia.
“Well, let’s see: she was willing to kill you to get the Curana’s ring, so Simon is well within his rights to rip out her throat.” Emma shrugged. “Wouldn’t be all that big a loss as far as I’m concerned.”
“What the hell is the Curana’s ring?”
“It’s the ring Emma now wears that proclaims she’s my mate and queen,” Max replied, gentling his grip on Becky’s arms as he realized she was reacting to the news far better than he’d expected.
“Whoa. Wait, so I was bait for Emma?”
“Becky, the longer Simon smells the blood, the harder it will be for him to not kill Livia. Decide her fate quickly.”
Becky looked at Livia one last time before staring straight into Simon’s golden eyes. “What is the lowest status a Puma can hold? If Max is king and Emma is queen, is there a lowest of the low?”
“No!” Livia moaned, trying to break free of Simon’s hold. Simon merely dug his claws in deeper while his other hand held her down by her throat.
“Outcast,” he answered. “Someone who’s been made Prideless. She’ll hold no privileges, no responsibilities. She will no longer be welcome at Pride functions or homes. Kits will be taught to avoid her. If she wished for status again she would have to leave, find a Pride willing to take her in and earn it.”
Becky nodded. “Since the whole damn thing was about status, I think that would do nicely.”
Simon nodded with a slow smile of approval. He bowed his head formally to Max. “My mate requests a casting out of the one named Olivia Patterson.” He ignored Becky’s startled gasp and Livia’s moaned denial.
Max eased Becky gently to the ground before stepping up beside Emma. He positioned himself so that Becky could see everything that was happening between them. His right hand, the one with the Alpha’s ring, came to rest on Emma’s hip as he stared down at Livia. “The Beta of this Pride has requested a formal casting out. My Curana witnessed the unprovoked attack of our Beta’s mate, Rebecca Yaeger.”
Emma saw Becky shoot Simon a narrow-eyed glare. “The attack was motivated by greed rather than self-defense. In light of these allegations I ask you, Olivia Patterson: how do you plead?”
“Fuck you.” Livia tryed once more to buck off Simon, but he didn’t budge an inch. Emma hoped she was having trouble breathing with the massive artist sitting on her chest.
Max’s expression turned icy cold as he stared at the woman who’d tried to hurt Becky and steal his mate’s power. “I’ll take that as a guilty.” Max’s power whispered forth, like a slow moving mist, creeping out onto the grounds and into the house. As that fog of power touched the Pumas, they became aware of what was happening in the garden, if not exactly why. “As Alpha of this Pride, for the unprovoked attack against the Beta’s mate, I hereby declare Olivia Patterson outcast. You are no longer one of us. You may no longer run with us, or hunt with us. You are no longer welcome in our homes.
You may no longer approach our kits without risk to your life.”
Livia began to sob quietly as Max formally kicked her out of the Pride. “Any attack on you will go unpunished within the Pride; we leave you to human laws. If you attack a mate of one of ours, you will be dealt with as an outsider, and your life will be forfeit. Any further contact with Rebecca Yaeger will be considered an attack, and will be dealt with as such. Again, your life will be forfeit. Any Pride member giving you succor will suffer the same fate as you.” With a gentle nudge, Max turned so that he and Emma had their backs to Livia, effectively dismissing her. Simon pulled his claws from her flesh, his eyes returning to their normal dark brown, his fangs receding as he approached Becky.
“Um, down, kitty? Good kitty?” Becky smiled weakly as Simon reached for her. Simon gently picked Becky up, careful of her wounds, and walked out of the garden, undoubtedly headed for the cars parked in front of the Friedelinde’s mansion. A long overdue conversation was about to take place, and if Emma wasn’t wrong some more biting was also going to take place.
“Will Simon’s bite heal Becky’s wounds?” Emma asked as they slowly walked away from the weeping woman huddled on the ground behind them.
“For the most part. She’ll bear some scars, most likely on her neck where Livia bit her, but otherwise
she’ll be fine. I’m pretty sure Simon will take care of that quickly.”
“Hmm. What do you think Livia will do?” Emma tucked her hand in the crook of Max’s arm and leaned on him. Her feet were beginning to hurt in the damn boots he’d bought her.
“Move, preferably far, far away.” Max picked up Emma’s hand and kissed the back of her knuckles.
“You, by the way, were magnificent, my Curana.”
Emma grinned up at him. “You think so?”
“I saw your performance in the house, and part of it out here.” Max stopped and pulled her into his arms, his mouth brushing against his mark on her neck. “Watching you put all those assholes in their place really got me hot.”
Emma giggled and wriggled her hips against him. “I thought I rocked.”
Max purred slightly as he nipped the mark on her neck. “Simon told me I should take you home and start making kits. What do you think?” Max looked down at her, love and lust glowing equally in his brilliant smile.
She leaned into him as they began walking back to the house, Livia forgotten behind them. Her hand rubbed his chest absently, her ring gleaming in the moonlight. “Max?”
“What?” His tone was wary; he’d come to expect the unexpected when she used that particular tone of voice.
“Will I give birth to a baby or a litter?”
“Emma,” he groaned.
“I mean, will we be feeding them baby formula or Kitten Chow?”
“Emma!”
“If they get stuck in a tree, who do we call? Does the fire department do kitten rescues anymore? This is important stuff to know, Lion-O!”